Previews

NARC

The 1988 arcade classic returns with a whole new look...and a lot of drugs.

A modern-day version of an old-school arcade classic, Midway's NARC is a fast paced action game with numerous twists. Though it bears the same name as its predecessor, the game isn't really an update of the classic as much as it is a reinterpretation. The developers are going for a frenetic feel with a hefty dose of drug-induced mania. And when I say, "Drug Induced," I mean it quite literally. The most controversial aspect of the game -- and surely the one that will get the most media attention -- is that drugs are used as power-ups.

The game tells the tale of two undercover cops: Jack Forzenski and Marcus Hill. The two are investigating the breakout of a drug called "liquid soul." Introduced to the world by the K.R.A.K. cartel, liquid soul grants its users superhuman powers. The prospect of having to deal with superhuman criminals scares the willies out of the authorities, so the two are sent to Asia in order to bring down K.R.A.K. and halt the production of its latest drug.

Just another night out on the town.

Developed by Vis, NARC uses some of the same technology found in the company's State of Emergency game. While you can clearly see the similarities, there are some major differences. The most obvious are the expected visual advancements that come with time. While NARC doesn't pack as many characters on screen -- at least in the portions I saw -- the gameplay seems much more intelligent than State of Emergency's. Lastly, your character can branch out in different directions similar to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic but instead of a force that binds the universe together your powers are derived from drugs that make you to funky things.

In the demo I saw, various drugs and their effects were illustrated. Marijuana sends you into "weed time," which is similar to the slowdown effect used in May Payne and Enter the Matrix. Speed is used to make your character lightning fast. Crack allows one-hit knockout power. LSD helps you separate the good guys from the bad guys by making the latter appear as if they had giant devil heads. Lastly, liquid soul is the king of all drugs with the wildest effects. Drugs also allow you to perform lethal finishing moves that do maximum damage.

Marijuana thrust kick!

While drugs provide helpful powers, they also come with a ton of baggage. Your cops can become addicted and corrupt to the point where they're kicked off the force. Midway claims that the game can be finished without using any drugs, but ignoring the central gimmick of the game kind of defeats the point of it.

As your adventure progresses, you badge rating fluctuates. The more honest you are and the less drugs you use, the higher your badge rating will be. Occasional of use of drugs and excessive violence will lower your rating, but still keep you on the good side. The game's producer equated this time of experience with Dirty Harry. If you really want to be bad then you can be a total junkie, beat up everyone in sight, and get kicked off the force. It is possible to get back in with proper behavior.

I have no doubt that NARC will be the most controversial game of 2004 and I address some of its issues in my column. Judging it solely as a game, it shows the potential to easily surpass State of Emergency, though I'm sure Midway and Vis are hoping for more. The action already has more variety and the different paths your characters can take should provide even more. Still, it's too early to tell how compelling the game's action will be. Look out for future updates on Midway's controversial shooter. It's going to get a ton of attention for all the wrong reasons, but GameSpy will bring you the goods on the gameplay.